Mastering the art of expressing numbers in English is crucial for effective communication. Whether it’s for everyday conversations, formal presentations, or written correspondence, knowing how to accurately and clearly convey numerical information is essential. The English language offers a rich and versatile system for representing numbers, ranging from simple digits to complex expressions. Understanding this system will empower you to navigate the intricacies of number representation, ensuring that your communication is precise and impactful.
One of the key aspects of writing numbers in English is the use of commas. Commas serve as placeholders, helping to separate large numbers into smaller, more manageable units. This enhances readability and makes it easier for the reader to comprehend the magnitude of the number. For instance, instead of writing “1234567890,” it is more appropriate to write “1,234,567,890.” Additionally, commas are used when a number exceeds three digits and is followed by a decimal point. For example, the number 3.14159 can be written as “3,141.59” to improve clarity.
Another important aspect of writing numbers in English is the use of words. While digits are typically used for smaller numbers, words are employed for larger numbers or when the number is the subject of a sentence. For instance, instead of writing “25,” one might write “twenty-five.” When using words to express numbers, it is essential to pay attention to the appropriate form of the word. For example, “one” should be used when the number is the subject of a sentence, while “a” or “an” should be used when the number is preceded by a noun. Additionally, numbers that end in “teen” or are multiples of ten should be hyphenated when written in words (e.g., “thirteen,” “thirty-two”).
Numbers as Digits
The digits used in the English language to represent numbers are:
| Digit |
Number |
| 0 |
zero |
| 1 |
one |
| 2 |
two |
| 3 |
three |
| 4 |
four |
| 5 |
five |
| 6 |
six |
| 7 |
seven |
| 8 |
eight |
| 9 |
nine |
Writing the Number 1
The number 1 is a special case, as it is the only number that has two different spellings. When used on its own, the number 1 is spelled "one". However, when used as part of a larger number (e.g., 10, 11, 12), the number 1 is spelled "one".
Additionally, the number 1 can also be spelled "first" when used in ordinal form (e.g., first, second, third).
Examples
- One hundred
- One thousand
- First place
- Second place
- Third place
Numbers as Words
In English, numbers can be written as words instead of numerals. This is often done for numbers that are small or that are part of a sentence.
Numbers One to Ten
Here are the numbers from one to ten as words:
| Number |
Word |
| 1 |
one |
| 2 |
two |
| 3 |
three |
| 4 |
four |
| 5 |
five |
| 6 |
six |
| 7 |
seven |
| 8 |
eight |
| 9 |
nine |
| 10 |
ten |
Numbers Eleven to Nineteen
The numbers from eleven to nineteen are formed by combining the words for the ones digit and the word “teen”. For example, eleven is written as “oneteen”, twelve is written as “twoteen”, and so on.
Numbers Twenty to Ninety-Nine
The numbers from twenty to ninety-nine are formed by combining the words for the tens digit and the ones digit. For example, twenty-one is written as “twenty-one”, thirty-two is written as “thirty-two”, and so on.
Written Number Format
### Numerals
English uses Hindu-Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, …, 9) to represent numbers in writing. These numerals are widely used in mathematics, science, and everyday life. They are also used to represent large numbers, such as 1,000,000 (one million) or 1,000,000,000 (one billion).
### Words
Numbers can also be written out in words, especially in non-technical contexts. For example, the number 12 can be written as “twelve”, and the number 100 can be written as “one hundred”. When writing out numbers in words, it is important to use the correct spelling and grammar. For example, the number “five” is spelled with a “v”, and the number “ten” is spelled with an “e”.
### Hyphens
Hyphens are used to connect the words that make up a compound number. For example, the number “twenty-one” is written with a hyphen, and the number “one hundred and one” is also written with a hyphen. Hyphens are not used to connect the words that make up a decimal number. For example, the number “one point five” is written without a hyphen.
| Number | Word |
|—|—|
| 0 | zero |
| 1 | one |
| 2 | two |
| 3 | three |
| 4 | four |
| 5 | five |
| 6 | six |
| 7 | seven |
| 8 | eight |
| 9 | nine |
| 10 | ten |
| 11 | eleven |
| 12 | twelve |
| 13 | thirteen |
| 14 | fourteen |
| 15 | fifteen |
| 16 | sixteen |
| 17 | seventeen |
| 18 | eighteen |
| 19 | nineteen |
| 20 | twenty |
| 30 | thirty |
| 40 | forty |
| 50 | fifty |
| 60 | sixty |
| 70 | seventy |
| 80 | eighty |
| 90 | ninety |
| 100 | one hundred |
| 1,000 | one thousand |
| 1,000,000 | one million |
| 1,000,000,000 | one billion |
Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers
The number four is a crucial number in many cultures and languages worldwide. In English, the number four has various forms depending on whether it is used as an ordinal or a cardinal number.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers are used to represent quantities and are typically used in counting or expressing amounts. In English, the cardinal number for four is “four.”
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers are used to indicate position or order in a sequence. In English, the ordinal number for four is “fourth.”
Specific Uses of the Number Four
The number four has many specific uses and symbolic meanings in different contexts:
| Contexts |
Symbolism or Meaning |
| Tarot cards |
Stability, organization, and grounding |
| Christianity |
The Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) |
| Music |
Fourth interval in Western music theory |
| Science |
Four fundamental forces in physics |
| Culture |
Considered a lucky number in many Asian countries |
Hyphenated Numbers
There are a number of instances where numbers should be hyphenated. These include:
- Fractions
- Adjectives that are formed from numbers
- Ordinal numbers that are tenth or greater
Fractions
Fractions that are less than one should always be hyphenated, regardless of whether the numerator contains one digit or more. For example, you would write “one-half” and “two-thirds”.
Adjectives That Are Formed From Numbers
When a number is used to form an adjective, it should be hyphenated. For example, “fifty-dollar bill” and “two-year-old child”.
Ordinal Numbers That Are Tenth or Greater
Ordinal numbers that are tenth or greater should be hyphenated. For example, “tenth”, “eleventh”, “twelfth”, and so on. However, the numbers “first”, “second”, and “third” are not hyphenated.
The following table provides a summary of the rules for hyphenating numbers:
| Number |
Hyphenated |
| 1/2 |
one-half |
| $50 |
fifty-dollar |
| 2 years old |
two-year-old |
| 10th |
tenth |
| 11th |
eleventh |
| 12th |
twelfth |
Fractions
When writing a fraction, the numerator (top number) is written before the denominator (bottom number), separated by a slash (/). For example, one-half is written as 1/2.
Fractions can be written in two ways: as a common fraction or as a decimal.
A common fraction is a fraction that is written in the form of a/b, where a is the numerator and b is the denominator.
A decimal is a fraction that is written in the form of x.y, where x is the whole number and y is the decimal part.
Decimals
Decimals are written with a decimal point (.) separating the whole number from the decimal part.
Rule 6: Writing Decimals
When writing a decimal, there are a few rules to follow:
- The decimal point must be placed after the whole number and before the decimal part.
- If the decimal part is less than 1, then a 0 must be placed before the decimal point.
- If the decimal part is greater than 1, then the decimal point must be placed after the whole number and before the first digit of the decimal part.
The following table shows some examples of decimals and how they are written in English:
| Decimal |
Written in English |
| 0.5 |
Zero point five |
| 1.25 |
One point two five |
| 10.5 |
Ten point five |
Roman Numerals
Roman numerals are a system of numerical notation used in ancient Rome. They are based on seven basic symbols: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M.
The value of a Roman numeral is determined by the following rules:
- The value of a single symbol is equal to its face value.
- The value of a symbol that is repeated is equal to the face value of the symbol multiplied by the number of times it is repeated.
- The value of a symbol that is followed by a symbol of greater value is equal to the difference between the face values of the two symbols.
The number 7 in Roman numerals
The number 7 can be written in Roman numerals as VII. This is because 7 is the sum of 5 and 2, which are represented by the symbols V and II, respectively.
The number 7 can also be written as VII, which is a more common way of writing it.
| Roman numeral |
Value |
| VII |
7 |
| VII |
7 |
Scientific Notation
Scientific notation is a way of writing numbers that are very large or very small in a concise and convenient way. It is used in many scientific and engineering applications.
A number written in scientific notation has two parts: a coefficient and an exponent.
The coefficient is a number between 1 and 10. The exponent is an integer that represents the number of times 10 is multiplied by itself to get the original number.
For example, the number 6.022 x 1023 is written in scientific notation. The coefficient is 6.022, and the exponent is 23. This means that 6.022 x 1023 is equal to 6.022 multiplied by 10, 23 times. In other words, it is equal to 602,200,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Scientific notation can be used to write very large and very small numbers in a compact and easy-to-read way. For example, the number 0.0000000000000000000000000000001 can be written as 1 x 10-24. This means that 0.0000000000000000000000000000001 is equal to 1 multiplied by 10, -24 times. In other words, it is equal to 0.0000000000000000000000000000001.
Example
The number 8 can be written in scientific notation in several ways.
One way is to write it as 8.000 x 100. This means that 8 is multiplied by 10, 0 times. In other words, it is equal to 8.
Another way to write 8 in scientific notation is 8.000 x 10-1. This means that 8 is multiplied by 10, -1 times. In other words, it is equal to 0.8.
Finally, 8 can also be written as 8.000 x 101. This means that 8 is multiplied by 10, 1 times. In other words, it is equal to 80.
The table below shows the different ways to write 8 in scientific notation.
| Coefficient |
Exponent |
Value |
| 8.000 |
0 |
8 |
| 8.000 |
-1 |
0.8 |
| 8.000 |
1 |
80 |
Phone Numbers
When writing out a phone number, include the area code, exchange, and line number. Separate each part with a hyphen or space. For example, you could write out a phone number as “555-123-4567” or “555 123 4567.” If you are writing a phone number in an international format, include the country code followed by the area code, exchange, and line number. For example, you could write out an international phone number as “+1 555-123-4567.”
Dates
When writing out a date, include the month, day, and year. Separate each part with a slash or hyphen. For example, you could write out a date as “12/31/2023” or “12-31-2023.” If you are writing out a date in an international format, include the day, month, and year. For example, you could write out an international date as “31/12/2023.”
The Number 9
The number 9 can be written in a variety of ways, depending on the context. In general, it is written as the numeral “9”. However, it can also be written out as the word “nine”. In some cases, the number 9 may be represented by the symbol “IX”.
Here is a table summarizing the different ways to write the number 9:
| Numeral |
Word |
Symbol |
| 9 |
nine |
IX |
When writing out the number 9 in a sentence, it is important to use the correct form. For example, you would write “There are nine apples in the basket” rather than “There are 9 apples in the basket.”
Grammatical Considerations
When writing numbers in English, there are certain grammatical considerations to keep in mind.
10
The number 10 is a special case when it comes to writing in English. It is the only two-digit number that is written as one word, “ten”. As a result, the grammatical considerations for “10” are somewhat different than those for other numbers.
In most cases, “10” is a singular noun. This means that it takes a singular verb, such as “is” or “was”. For example:
| Incorrect |
Correct |
| Ten apples are on the table. |
Ten apples is on the table. |
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, when “10” is used in a collective sense, it can take a plural verb. For example:
| Incorrect |
Correct |
| The ten of us are going to the park. |
The ten of us is going to the park. |
Furthermore, when “10” is used as a fraction, it can take a plural verb. For example:
| Incorrect |
Correct |
| One-tenth of the pie is left. |
One-tenth of the pie are left. |
How to Write a Number in English
Writing numbers in English can be confusing, especially for non-native speakers. There are different rules for writing numbers depending on their size and context. This guide will provide you with the basic rules for writing numbers in English.
General Rules:
- Numbers from one to nine are written as words.
- Numbers from ten to nineteen are written as one word.
- Numbers from twenty to ninety-nine are written as two words.
- Numbers from one hundred to nine hundred ninety-nine are written as three words.
- Numbers from one thousand to nine hundred ninety-nine thousand are written as three words, with the word “thousand” added at the end.
- Numbers from one million to nine hundred ninety-nine million are written as three words, with the word “million” added at the end.
Exceptions:
- The number “zero” is always written as a word.
- The numbers “eleven” and “twelve” are written as one word.
- Numbers that end in “-teen” (e.g., thirteen, fourteen) are written as one word.
People Also Ask
How do I write a large number in English?
To write a large number in English, you can use the following format:
- Write the number in digits.
- Add a comma after every three digits.
- End the number with the appropriate word (e.g., thousand, million, billion).
How do I write a decimal number in English?
To write a decimal number in English, you can use the following format:
- Write the number as a whole number.
- Add a decimal point.
- Write the decimal part of the number as a fraction.
How do I write a fraction in English?
To write a fraction in English, you can use the following format:
- Write the numerator as a cardinal number.
- Add the word “over”.
- Write the denominator as a cardinal number.
